Vasugupta (~ 800 – 850 CE) was the author of the '' Shiva Sutras'', an important text of the Advaita tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, also called ''Trika'' (sometimes called ''Trika Yoga'').

Biography

Little is known about Vasugupta's life, other than he lived in

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

and in the first half of the 9th century. He probably was born in late 8th century to a Kashmiri Hindu family. This dating is based on mentions of his work in other Indian texts, and the biography of his students particularly Kallata and Somananda, both of whom are dated to have actively composed philosophical texts sometime between 825 and 900 CE. He probably was a contemporary and aware of the ideas of

Advaita Vedanta ''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' ...

, and of

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

scholars of the 8th and 9th century. The author is believed in Shaiva tradition to have amassed knowledge and recognition through direct realization. He was a native of

and a

Shaiva Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

. It is unclear how and what inspired him to write the Shiva Sutras, and early texts mention no legends. Later tradition and hagiographic texts present inconsistent stories. One states that Vasugupta found the sutras inscribed on a rock called ''Sankaropala''. Another states that Shiva appeared in his dream and recited it to him, who then wrote it down. There are additional stories, but the texts of the immediate students of Vasugupta mention none of these legends except the one where Vasugupta discovers the Sutras in his dream. Vasugupta also wrote the ''Spanda Karikas'' as a commentary on the Shiva Sutras. He paved the way for later scholars for a cultural and religious renaissance in Kashmir which continued for centuries till the advent of Islam. His principal disciple, Bhatta Kallata spread the Shiva Sutras, and wrote ''Spanda-karika'' in the 2nd half of the 9th century.

Philosophy and Kashmir Shaivism

Vasugupta is regarded by some as the founder of the system of

Hindu philosophy Hindu philosophy encompasses the philosophies, world views and teachings of Hinduism that emerged in Ancient India which include six systems ('' shad-darśana'') – Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.Andrew Nicholson ( ...

known as Advaita Shaivism of Kashmir, or Trika. Vasugupta's Shiva Sutra is an important Yoga text, foundational to the Trika system of Kashmir Shaivism. The text discusses the nature and cause of bondage, and how one liberates from this bondage. The text has been extensively commented upon by Indian authors, and some manuscripts have been translated into English, such as by Mark Dyczkowski and by Jaideva Singh.

Bibliography

References

External links

About Shiva Sutras - Swami Lakshmanjoo
*Siva Sutras-The yoga of Supreme Identity http://bibleoteca.narod.ru/tantra/Jaideva_Singh_Siva_Sutras.pdf ] *The Shiva Sutras http://www.shivashakti.com/sutras.htm *The Shiva Sutras http://www.inannareturns.com/files/ShivaSutras.pdf *MARK-DYCZKOWSKI-1992-THE-APHORISMS-OF-SIVA-THE-SHIVA-SUTRAS-WITH-BHASKARA'S-COMMENTARY-(267P) Kashmiri people Kashmiri writers Kashmiri Shaivites Medieval Hindu religious leaders 9th-century philosophers Hindu philosophers and theologians Kashmir Shaivism Year of birth uncertain 850 deaths {{hindu-bio-stub